Russia, India, China outline development of nuclear sectors

Beijing, April 20 (RIA Novosti) Officials from Russia, India and China at a nuclear energy conference here confirmed Monday their countries’ interest in developing nuclear technology including, a fast neutron reactor. Alexander Agapov of Russia’s nuclear power corporation Rosatom, said Russia was planning “a gradual transition from 2020 to a new technological platform on the basis of fast neutron reactors with a closed fuel cycle”.

Qin Sun, the deputy head of China’s National Energy Administration, said China was set to install over 40 GW (gigawatts) of nuclear facilities by 2020, including through developing its own technology.

China’s 11 operating nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of about 9 GW currently met slightly over one percent of the country’s energy demand.

Another eight nuclear power plants with 16 reactors of a total of over 10 GW is planned to be built in China in the next three years.

China is also developing a fast neutron reactor programme in cooperation with Russia and is currently building an experimental reactor, CEFR, to be launched in 2010.

Anil Kakodkar, chief of India’s Atomic Energy Commission, said India found small and medium-capacity reactors most suitable for its 17 nuclear power plants.